(Quebec) Quebec reveals the number of Quebecers waiting to see a medical specialist, by specialty and by region, at the same time as the Federation of Medical Specialists of Quebec (FMSQ) expresses reservations regarding the Dubé reform which will require them to Do more.
The Ministry of Health and Social Services (MSSS) is adding a new indicator to its dashboard: the number of Quebecers waiting for a specialized medical examination. To date, 831,470 people are waiting at the Service Request Dispatch Center (CRDS) to obtain an appointment with a medical specialist on the recommendation of a general practitioner.
Of the 831,470 people waiting, more than half (483,786) are already out of time. It is in dermatology that the list is the longest, with 104,592 patients waiting, of which 62,424 are out of time. Next come specialties such as immunology (72,289), gynecology (69,537) and ENT (69,221). The data is also broken down by region on the MSSS website.
The publication of these new data comes as the FMSQ held a press briefing on Tuesday to comment on Bill 15, which aims to make the health and social services system more efficient.
A new showdown is looming between the Legault government and the FMSQ. In his reform, Christian Dubé will force medical specialists to do more, such as tackling waiting lists, offering hours of work in unfavorable shifts, participating in on-call duty or filling uncovered services. ”
What we are telling specialists today is that the right to practice will be subject to these specific medical activities,” Mr. Dubé explained last week, as is the case for family doctors. “We are not here to look for culprits”, assured the minister, who did not want to specify the specialties where he expects a helm.